Latch for elevator-gates.



'N. 6825776. Patented Sept. -I7, |90I.`

- A. ZITZMANN. f

LATCH FR ELEVATB GATES.

. (Applicatiomled Hay 4, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST ZITZMANN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LATCH FOR ELEVATOR-GATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,776, datedSeptember 17, 1901.

Application filed May 4, 1901. Serial No. 58,680. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST ZITZMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ot' Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Latches forElevator-Gates; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in latches for elevator-gates; andthe improvement consists in aconstruetion substantially as shown anddescribed, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide latch mechanism forelevator gates or doors which will securely lock the gate or door whenin closed position.

Another object is to make a noiseless operating-latch construction; andanother object is embraced in the arrangement of parts whereby none ofthe operating members project beyond the meeting edges of the door andcasing. This arrangement prevents possible accidents which might occurto the person passing between said edges after the door or gate isopened, because there are no projecting parts to catch the clothing.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an inside face elevation of asliding door and its supporting-casing. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectionalview of the latch and locking mechanism on the door and casing. Fig. 3is a sectional View on line a; ao, Fig. 2, and looking down therefrom.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of that portion of the jamb which receivesthe door edge and showing more particularly the cushioning-stripsattached to the angle-bar at each side of the catch of the portion ofthe U-shaped angle-bar, showing the struck-up parts thereof whichconfine the cushioning-strips. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one ofsaid cushioning-strips. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of thecushioning-blocks for the latch members.

The latch mechanism, as shown and described, is operatively mounted towork in connection with a sliding door or gate such as is used inelevator hatch-cribs and the like, and, to begin with, diners from theusual lock. Fig. 5 is a perspective elevation of a l lbar 18, into whichgate-plate 8 retires.

This latch 2 is pivotally mounted on a cross.

shaft Within a cast-iron box 3, fastened to and forming part of thecasing or cribwork 4, and a fiat spring 5 Within said box bears againsta right-angled arm 6, rigid with said latch,

and keeps the same normally in position toz engageaud lock the slidingdoor 7. The sliding door 7 is provided at its front or meeting edge witha plate 8, which has an opening 9 in its face opposite latch 2, and thehook or depending portion of said latch engages andv drops behind plate8 at the bottom of said opening, and thereby locks the gate securely tocasing 4 until released. The releasing member is mounted on the slidingdoor 7 and 11 within a cast frame or casinglZ, attached tothe door. Theouter end of the longer arm of this lever normally rests, by reason ofits own weight, upon a cushioning-block 19 below the hook end of latch2, and a knob 14 on the shorter arm of lever 10 projects through a slot15in casing 12 and provides means Whereby said lever is operated toraise latch 2 out of engagement with plate 8. A handle 16 is arrangedadjacent to the side of knob 14, and the operator can depress knob 14 bymeans of his thumb, while at the same time his ngers grip said handle toslide the door open when`Y the latch is thereby released.

When the gate is carried to locked position, the meeting edge plate Sabuts against rubber cushioning pins or projections 17, which arelocated above and below latch 2 and project through box 3 and theU-shaped anglesides of angle-bar 18 overlap latch 2, and when gate 7 isopen there are no projecting parts from either the gate edge or bar 18upon which accidental vcatching of the clothing of a person passingbetween can occur.

Both lever 10 and latch 2 have cushioningblocks 19 to prevent the saidparts from striking or rattling against vthe metal casing, therebyproviding against unnecessary noise.

The

- comprises a lever 10, pivotally supported at t Thisffeature isverydesirable, because in office-blocks Where elevator-latches of thiskind are used the clatter of the latches and banging of the gatesthroughout the day are very annoying and trying to the tenants. Eachblock 19 has an opening 20 for the lover or latch, as the case may be,which is of such size as to allow said parts to pass through and workfreely therein, but which is of less size than the openings in the ironcasings or boxes 3 and 12, thus keeping said lever and latch out ofcontact with their inclosures and permitting only engagement betweensaid lever and latch. These cushioning-blocks 19 are preferably held inplace between walls 21, forming part of each casing or box 12 or 3, andare slipped in from one side, a removable plate 22 on casing 12 and alike plate 24 on box 3 permitting this to be done.

A further feature in connection with the cushioning of door 7, wherebythe noise and banging are greatly eliminated, is embraced in thecushioning-strips 25, which are removably attached to the sides ofangle-bar 18 of the cribwork 4. At each side of latch 2 and struck upout of the angle-bar proper are offset flanges 26,bent inward toward thelatch, but lying parallel with the sides of said bar and havingscrew-threaded holes 27 centrally in two of said flanges. Thecushioningstrips 26 are shaped with thin attened extremities 2S, whichfit on the outside face of flanges 26 and have their outer face iiushwith the outside of angle-bar 18. Separate screws and washers 29 fastenthe strips securely in place. The thicker central portions ofcushioning-strips 26 are placed inside Vof angle-bar 18 opposite latch2, and the edge of door 7 is guided by the rounded edges of strips 26 toseat the door edge centrally withinangle-bar18. Thesecushioning-stripsthus act as guides to line up the door when engaging latch 2 and alsodeaden the noise when the gate is closed. When these strips become wornout with excessive use, a new set can be slipped or screwed in theirplace.

1. The casing and a latch supported thereon, and a cushioning-blockabout said latch, in combination with a sliding door having alocking-plate and a lever for releasing said latch, and a separatecushioning-block for said lever mounted on said door, substantially asdescribed.

2. In elevator-doors, the combination of the stationary casing having aU-shaped anglebar mounted thereon, a pivoted latch on said casing andwithin said angle-bar, a sliding door constructed with an edge plate toretire Within said U-shaped bar and having an engaging portion for saidlatch, and a pivoted lever on said door to release said latch from saidplate, substantially as described.

3. The U-shaped angle-bar and the supporting-casing therefor, an openingin said bar and a spring-pressed pivoted latch on said casing projectingthrough said opening, and cushioning-blocks for said latch, incombination with a sliding door constructed with an edge plate to engagesaid latch when retired within said U-bar, a pivoted lever to releasesaid latch from said plate, and cushioningblocks for said lever mountedon said door, substantially as described.

4. The combination ot' the sliding door and the fixed casing therefor, aU-shaped anglebar on said casing within which the edge of said doorretires, latch mechanism on said door and casing, and removablecushioning and guiding strips for said door mounted on said angle-bar,substantially as described.

5. The casing and the U-shaped angle-bar thereon having offset anges,cushioningstrips removably secured to said flanges and arranged on theinner face of the sides of said angle-bar, and a latch on said casing,in combination with a sliding door having an edge plate to engage saidlatch and constructed to retire within said angle-bar and between saidcushioning-strips, substantially as described.

6. The sliding door, and the fixed casing having a U-shaped angle-bar toreceive the edge of the door, said bar having offset flanges, incombination with removable cushioning and guiding strips for the doorhaving engaging portions to fit between said flanges and said bar,substantially as described.

Witness my hand tothe foregoing specification this 6th day of April,1901.

AUGUST ZITZMANN.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, H. E. MUDRA.

